Kelly - Blog #4

Jordan Kelly

Brit Lit

Period 6

10/3/13

The British Renaissance, and more specifically, William Shakespeare are known for their imagery and symbolism.  According to Kenneth Muir’s "Image and Symbol in Macbeth", Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” contains a great deal of both.  Shakespeare also surmounts an emphasis on sleep throughout the story.

Kenneth Muir’s "Image and Symbol in Macbeth" focuses on the point of babes and nursing.  “Macbeth” contains a multitude of references to infant nursing in instances such as, “Pity like a newborn baby striding the blast”.  This relates to Macbeth’s reluctance to kill his cousin, Duncan for the throne; comparing Duncan’s innocence to the innocence of a newborn.  Additionally, it is used to emphasize Lady Macbeth’s role as an antagonist and threat to Macbeth by comparing his reluctance to the pain of the teething from a newborn.

Shakespeare uses/talks about sleep in the play as a means of  explaining and rationalizing the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as a nightmare for Duncan.  This is done through the use of imagery in the form of sleeping walking and comatose-like slumbers.

Kelly - Blog #2

Jordan Kelly

Brit Lit

Period 6

10/3/13

Anglo Saxon literature can be identified by its use of Epic Heroes and their impact on the many tales of the genre.  According to Joseph Campbell, an Epic Hero must have an established struggle or purpose to being the journey, some type of opposition, and must fulfill their task at the end.  These guidelines and cultural changes hold true with “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in a number of ways.

In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, Sir Gawain establishes his struggle and opposition from the Green Knight.  After agreeing to a death game in honor of the king, Gawain spends a little less than a year preparing for his demise.  Unknowingly, he stumbles upon the home of the Green Knight where he gains a second opposition, the Green Knight’s wife.  Gawain is able to fulfill his task through his loyalty-despite the girdle-and honor of his king.  The most apparent of these changes is seen in Sir Gawain’s courage to face the Green Knight, where his journey’s purpose is established, because the intense emotion that pushed him away from his peers in that gut-wrenching moment,

Kelly - Blog #3

Jordan Kelly

Brit Lit

Period 6

10/3/13

Knights, many being Epic Heroes, play a large role in Anglo Saxon literature.  Knights guard the nobility and are used as the Crown’s personal military force.  Tangentially, some stories may coincide with one another, leading to the reuse of some characters.  "Le Morte d'Arthur" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" recite this theme in their use of the knight, Sir Gawain.  However, these characters are not always portrayed the same way, allowing the authors to add their touch on characters such as, Sir Gawain.

In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, Sir Gawain is portrayed as a strong and noble knight, one of the king’s right hands.  He is shown to be loyal to everyone he meets. including his enemies.  Similarly in “Le Morte d’Arthur”, Sir Gawain’s loyalty extended into King Arthur’s dream and is seen as he is the first to arrive to King Arthur’s aid, warning him of his fate and how it can be prevented.  These similarities help  the reader extend their knowledge from one story to the next.

Though it is true that Sir Gawain’s personality is portrayed similarly in both stories, the consistency, however, varies because of the different authors.  In “Le Morte d’Arthur”, Sir Gawain, instead of pushing for battle, does everything in his power to warn the king of a truce, during the dream.  This contrast can be seen in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, by Sir Gawain being the only knight to challenge Bertilak of Hautdesert; and later succeeds in surviving Bertilak’s game.

Tolkien Criticism

Jordan Kelly

Brit Lit

Period 6

9/4/13

Anglo-Saxon literature has survived for hundreds of years as home of many great classics and gains new fans to its archaic diction regularly.  In the epic poem, The Beowulf, or more commonly known as , Beowulf, tells the tale of Beowulf, the main character and epic hero of the poem, and the plights of the Danes.  This Anglo-Saxon epic, although great, has received many different, contrasting criticisms.  J.R.R.Tolkien, one of the more popular critics of the epic, has given some strong and accurate points, but falls short on others.

In his essay, J.R.R.Tolkien stated that Beowulf should not be approached as a historical document because, “its poetry is so interesting that it overshadows its historical context.”(Tolkien 247).  I agree with Tolkien because although there is some factual historical context, the poetry: demons, dragons, witches, and Beowulf’s unparalleled strength, etc. easily eclipse the historical aspects of the Danes.  Moreover, the poem’s supernatural aspects just simply outweigh its natural and historical contexts.

Beowulf’s story, although highly fiction, is nothing short of a story, contrary to J.R.R.Tolkien’s view on the epic.  Tolkien stated that, “there is nothing much in the story.” (Tolkien 251).  This is a huge exaggeration as there was more to Beowulf than Beowulf being too preoccupied with fighting to save the, and eventually his, people.  Before his death, Beowulf was a strong leader in terms of Anglo-Saxon literature, as he was able to, although short, enjoy time with his friends and people of his kingdom-especially during the 50 winters of peace.  His battles were only emphasized as a means of gaining the attention of the reader.  Beowulf is nothing more or less of an Anglo-Saxon epic that is viewed and adored by thousands.